treat yourself well.

what I believe: one God, one love

Despite my passion for the metaphysical, I realize I’ve neglected to share what I believe. My religion, or my spirituality, if you will.

It’s evident that we’re veering away from organized religion, or we’re at least becoming less dependent upon its strict edicts. Call this trend a millennial one, some underlying plot we young people have to “destroy life as we know it,” but I see this as a natural path toward how humanity should exist.

Here’s the big question: what do I believe? There’s no better term I’ve found to describe it other than “omnism.” Simply said, it’s the belief that all well-intentioned religions contain truth, and they will inevitably all lead us to the same salvation and enlightenment.

Buckle up for an interesting ride, folks. Let me explain omnism and how I define it.

the journey so far.

I grew up Christian, specifically Lutheran. I was confirmed in that denomination. While I haven’t been a huge churchgoer, I kept my faith through the ebbs and flows of adolescence and all its heavy burdens.

I would still consider myself Christian, as it’s the most familiar to me. I’m most knowledgeable about its Scripture and tenets. I still believe in God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Past devotionals and faith-driven posts have all been authentic to my beliefs.

In college, I added a Religious Studies minor, mostly on a whim. I’ve always been somewhat interested in different religions, but I can attest to all my religion classes being the most mentally stimulating and intriguing classes I took. With that education in my arsenal, I at least have a basic understanding of the world’s major religions.

Without knowing when this change in mindset started, I’d say it’s a more recent occurrence. In classes, it was very clear how past religions (like Zoroastrianism) influenced Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and how these latter three were influenced by one another. The ancient stories and myths circulated among those past communities, taking on new forms and characters. They inspired those people to keep seeking out more, consider new ideas, and draw different people into the spiritual fold.

The same goes with Eastern religions, too. The doctrine that mankind authored take on new names, flip around some details, embody another perspective…they must come from an original source. They must all be speaking some fragment of truth.

creating unnecessary divisions.

What drives us further apart, throughout our history and present, is the notion that only religion is “correct.” We veer off in different directions, and each holy space perpetuates itself as the “only” way to have faith. Only if you believe this or say that will you be saved.

So, we religiously fight for power. We go against the original doctrine itself to pursue selfish gains. We pit groups against one another until, somehow, we crown a victor. Even those of us who know to love thy neighbor, still, deep down, question whether our Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist friend will meet us on the other side. Also, we take literal interpretations of our separate holy texts, books written by flawed humans, and skew those words into explanations for violence and hatred.

Rationally, we can see how similar we truly all are. We can look back on history and sociology and archaeology to realize we’re ultimately all pursuing the same principles. Humanity is meant to love, to help one another, to find meaning in our existence.

Imagine it as a teacher grading a persuasive essay. Several students are arguing for the same side, but they all used different sources of evidence and different thought processes to reach his or her conclusions. Each essay proves itself to be effective. Assuming everyone’s writing is meticulous, the teacher couldn’t score someone better than another unless that teacher has bias for a student and/or writing.

my omnist beliefs.

Humanity is a community. Nobody is less than another, once we shed all the superficial factors. To divide one another and label ourselves and wreak havoc on our “enemies” is the complete opposite of what every well-intentioned religion perpetuates.

By “well-intentioned,” I single out the examples of religion (or cult activity) that manipulates religious doctrine into a dangerous game, the prizes being fame, power, and other egotistical gains. They aren’t spiritual, and they only draw us further away from the soul.

God is everywhere and everything. A single Creator is at work, and He’s the inspiration for all belief systems. He provided us figures like Jesus, Muhammed, the Buddha, and more, to further everyone along their spiritual journey. This journey is one of pure love and compassion for one another, for animals, and every trace of God’s masterpiece.

We each come into this world with a purpose. We’re born with the Holy Spirit, what we call “soul,” and that Spirit guides us toward God. Our souls are of the same essence; it’s how we can empathize. However, our individual purpose to fulfill is unique to us. How we realize that purpose is unique to us.

There’s a reason why we’re drawn toward believing and identifying with certain religions over others: it’s our unique soul’s way of understanding and finding our purpose. Religion instills comfort and peace. How we prefer those qualities, in what explanation or ritual they embody, is where separate religions form. We give them names, as is our nature, to understand where they differ.

Spirituality and religion are separate terms. Religion is the vehicle for focusing upon spirituality. At the end of the day, we’re all spiritual beings because we all have the Spirit within us. All life contains this Spirit, and through recognizing that, we can appreciate the mystery and wonder of God. The abilities to continually change, grow, and learn mold us into who we are truly meant to be.

final truths.

Love one another. Do no intentional harm to any life. Show respect. Be grateful for every single gift and blessing. Honor God in all your thoughts and actions through compassion, humility, kindness, and empathy. Listen to Him when He speaks, whether that’s in meditation, prayer, or other practices.

There’s so much more to say, all the love in my heart I want to communicate, but my parting message is this: we are equal. We are One. Even if you don’t agree with me, at least realize that although we’re all flawed, and suffering and sin are inevitable, and every Yin there is Yang…we still exist to love.

Life in every form is innately good. Where there might be many reasons to focus upon faults and mistakes and failures…the light prevails. Find the good in everything. If you cannot find it, be it.